


no ray of sunlight's ever lost

by nevershootamockingbird



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Ep 115 spoilers, Established Relationship, F/M, Gen, Polyamory, Post-Canon, Post-Series, Relationship Negotiation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 07:29:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14232318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nevershootamockingbird/pseuds/nevershootamockingbird
Summary: Being home is strange. He wishes there was another voice in the living room, too, but he wouldn’t trade any of this for the fucking world.Being home is safe. Kash is looking forward to many more years of it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've still got a lot of feelings brewing about post-series Vox Machina and all of their found family. This was written in two days, which is possibly the fastest I've ever actually finished a fic, and I'm really proud of it! It's incredibly self-indulgent, and I love it. I hope you do as well! 
> 
> This is post-series and canon compliant, technically, maybe. 
> 
> Zahra figures it out first, always. Kash usually isn't too far behind.

Keyleth’s visiting when he gets home.

Zahra’s coat isn’t by the front door where she left it, so Kash figures she’s gone out to shop, or visit someone, or just gone for a walk. He heads into the kitchen, frowning and stopping short when he sees the kettle on the stove, smells something flowery lingering in the air.

Kash sets his jaw, hand falling to the dagger at his side before he catches sight of the antlered headpiece on the table, spire leaning next to it, and the fight rushes out of him. Something warm settles in his chest, and he takes his time unloading his pack, his belt, pouring himself a cup of still-warm tea.

Lavender bursts over his tongue. It tastes a little bit like almost was.

He leans against the doorframe leading into their living room, taking stock of the sight in front of him. Keyleth is curled up and unconscious in the oversized armchair he willingly let Zahra talk him into buying, limbs folded in gracefully, Kamaria asleep on her chest. She’s got a messy flower crown on her head, and Kash is willing to bet that when Zahra and Vax come home, his son will be wearing a matching one.

He watches for a handful of slow minutes, draining his tea before turning back to put it on the table. He sits to untie his boots, takes them back into the hall; by the time he’s returned to check on them, Keyleth is beginning to blink sleep out of her eyes, face turned towards him, flowers falling over one ear. Kash moves forward quietly, sitting on the end of the couch closest to her.

“Hey. Talking today?” He keeps his voice soft, mindful not to wake his daughter. Keyleth shrugs carefully, gently smoothing her thumb over Kamaria’s shock of white hair. Kash smiles when she meets his eyes, feels the knot in his chest loosen when she smiles back. “Okay. Just let me know.”

Keyleth nods, reaching out to gently grab his closest hand and squeeze, waiting for his fingers to curl back around hers. He sits on the couch next to the chair and they stay like that for a while, comfortable silence settling over them like an old blanket, Kash absently tracing his thumb over Keyleth’s knuckles. It’s familiar, and Kash lets his gaze wander, counting old scars and freckles on his friend’s exposed skin.

Eventually Kamaria stirs, and Keyleth pulls her hand away, smoothing it back over her head and beginning to hum under her breath. Kash takes the opportunity to stand, slipping back into the kitchen to rifle through his pack, finding the inventory forms he’d taken from the clinic and a graphite stick.

Keyleth is still humming when he comes back into the room, a tune he doesn’t recognize, and it sounds a little off-key but it’s kind of nice. Kash settles back onto the couch next to them, spreading his papers out across the table and letting himself get lost in making lists and re-organizing in his mind. He’s not sure how much time passes before he sets the graphite down, straightening up and reaching around to rub at the twinge in his back. The humming has stopped.

“—and that’s the first thing your daddy ever said to me,” Keyleth is saying when he tunes in, and she’s smiling at Kamaria when he looks over. They’ve shifted since he last checked, Keyleth sitting almost normally now, spine against the back of the chair and one leg curled under herself. His daughter is sitting in her aunt’s lap, chubby hands curled around two of Keyleth’s fingers, big gummy smile on her face that makes Kash’s heart lurch every time.

“Really, princess? You’re starting with that story?” Keyleth laughs as she turns her attention towards him, and Kash can’t deny the surge of relief at the spark in her eyes. He grins, helpless, and reaches out when Kamaria starts babbling, giving her one of his fingers to grab onto.

“Well it’s not like she’ll remember any of this,” Keyleth justifies, looking back down at the little girl in her lap, using her newly freed hand to gently tickle her stomach. Kamaria’s laugh is a sound Kash will never be tired of.

“You say that now,” Kash grouses, but he’s smiling too hard for it to have much effect. Keyleth gives him a knowing look, eyes soft and smile fond. He ducks his head under it, attention shifting back to Kamaria, her hand still gripping his finger. Kash waves it gently, huffing a laugh at the determined look his daughter gives him, fiercely trying to keep her hold.

“She definitely gets that from you,” Keyleth says, laughing at the flat look Kash turns her way. Kamaria starts to fuss the second he looks away, and when he glances back down she’s let go of Keyleth’s finger, holding her other hand out to him. Kash hums soothingly, and it’s easy to get Kamaria into his arms with Keyleth’s help, his daughter quieting immediately once her head is over his heartbeat. Kash has to spend a long moment looking down at her, and it still steals his breath away, how much love he has for his children.

There are tears in Keyleth’s eyes when he looks back over at her.

“Hey,” he starts, but then the front door opens, chatter filling the entrance. Kamaria lifts her head at the voices, begins babbling again, and Kash rises slowly, focus still on Keyleth as she wipes at her face. She gives him a shaky smile, waving one of her hands, and Kash gives her a long, hard look before heading towards where the voices have migrated to in the kitchen.

Zahra’s setting some bags on the table, laughing at something Vax is saying up to her. They both smile at him when he walks in, and Vax races over, barreling into his legs. Kash laughs, shifting Kamaria and reaching a hand down to right the much neater flower crown on his son’s head.

“Dad! Dad, is Aunt Kiki still here?” Vax smiles up at him, silver eyes flashing. Kash laughs, jerking his head over his shoulder.

“Why don’t you go find out?” He grins at his son’s excited shout, palming the back of his head when Vax squeezes his legs before darting last him into the living room.

“Well, look who finally came back!” Kash hears Keyleth tease, then laughter, a sound that might be his son tugging her down onto the ground, might be his son jumping onto the chair with her.

“Oh! She’s talking again?” Zahra sounds startled, delighted, smile wide on her face as she walks over towards him. Kash holds his other arm out to wrap around her shoulders, tugging her in close and ducking to press a sweet kiss to her mouth. Kamaria gurgles, smiling and clapping her hands, and they both laugh, Zahra pulling away to kiss their daughter’s head.

“Yeah, not sure how long for. She was still quiet when I got in,” Kash tells her, turning Kamaria in his arms so she can reach for her mom’s hair. Zahra ducks down to nuzzle her nose against Kamaria’s cheek, and Kash’s heart lurches at the joyous squeal the little girl lets out.

There’s produce threatening to spill over his kitchen table, and Zahra’s tail is curling around one of his ankles, the rest of her attention still on their daughter in his arms. Kamaria is giggling loudly, one hand patting her mother’s cheek, the other grabbing for the chain around Zahra’s neck. Behind them, Kash can hear excited voices, Vax asking questions about whichever story Keyleth is telling him this time. Kash hasn’t been bothered by Her in two years, the love of his life is speaking Infernal to their daughter, and his best friend is promising to help their son with his drawings.

Being home is strange. He wishes there was another voice in the living room, too, but he wouldn’t trade any of this for the fucking world.

Being home is safe. Kash is looking forward to many more years of it.

 

* * *

 

Later, much later, after dinner and maybe a little too much wine, after they’ve put the kids to bed, Kash walks Keyleth out. Zahra hugs her for a long moment, first, taking Keyleth’s weight easily and murmuring into her ear, too low for Kash to listen. He waits for them to finish, lacing his boots and pulling on a sweater before feeling Keyleth’s hand curl around the crook of his elbow. 

“Ready, princess?” Kash asks, grinning when Keyleth sticks her tongue out at him. Zahra’s tail smacks against his thigh; when he glances back she winks at him, smirking and making shooing motions.

“Don’t let him be mean, Keyleth,” she chides, laughing at the half-hearted grumble Kash gives. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Thanks, Zahra,” Keyleth says, smiling back at her sweetly, and then Kash is gently tugging her out the front door, out into the cold night. They sky is clear, for once, hundreds of stars visible, but Kash feels a brief ache in his left shoulder as he slings Keyleth’s spire over it; it’ll be snowing before long, he’s sure.

“Where to tonight?” He asks, looking down to his right. Keyleth is staring up at the sky, her antlers dangling from her free hand at her side. She sighs, rests her temple on his shoulder, hand curling tighter on his arm.

“Abundant Terrace.” Her voice is soft, and Kash has to press a kiss to the top of her head before gently leading her forward, taking a left onto the street. They’re quiet as they make their way through familiar streets, silence stretching across the city at the late hour.

Keyleth doesn’t take her head off his shoulder.

Too quickly, they begin approaching the vast expanse of trees, and Kash tightens his grip on the spire reflexively. There’s a sigh to his right, and Keyleth finally straightens up, her weight leaving him. The only point of contact now is her hand on his arm, burning against his skin through the thick wool knit.

“Thanks for coming.” His voice is almost too loud, and Keyleth startles next to him, but the smile is quick to overtake her face. She shakes her head, stepping back into his space so their arms press together.

“Thanks for letting me stay,” she answers, face turning back towards the trees, and Kash takes a moment to study her profile. Zahra’s wink plays in his head, and he has to bite back a groan.

He might be in trouble.

“You’re coming back next week, right?” Kash asks as they come to a stop in front of a large tree. He leans her spire against the bark, turning to face her. Keyleth’s smile goes crooked as her hand falls away from him, and she hooks her antlers over the spire before answering.

“Have I ever missed a birthday party? We’ll all be there,” she assures him, and Kash shakes his head, reaching out to pull her in close.

“Yeah, whatever, just checking.” He hugs her tight, one arm around her shoulders and the other hand cupping the back of her head. Kash feels her arms wind around his waist, hands curling in his sweater over his back. She presses her face against his shoulder, but it doesn’t muffle the shuddering sigh she lets out. Kash feels her shoulders hitch, and he turns his head enough to kiss her temple, humming soothingly.

He’s not sure how long they stay like that, but it’s enough time for the wind to start biting through his sweater, enough time for his fingers to work through the knots in her hair, enough time for her breathing to go unsteady as she shakes apart in his arms, enough time for it to even back out again. Kash is just glad she lets him help this time.

Eventually she starts to pull away, and he loosens his hold on her, just enough for her to lean back and look up at him. Kash doesn’t let go until Keyleth smiles, and then he lets out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, tension sapping from his body instantly. She takes a step back and reaches for her antlers, smile starting to fall, and Kash can’t have that.

“Pretty sure that the vestiges weren’t meant to be used as coat racks, princess.” Keyleth blinks before laughing, head tipping back as she grabs her antlers, and her smile is brighter when she looks at him, placing the circlet on her head carefully.

“Probably not, but it works,” she retorts, and Kash’s breath comes easier at her cheerful tone. Keyleth picks up her spire and lifts her other hand, and Kash starts to take a step back, give her space to cast the spell and leave. He’s stopped when her fingers curl in his sleeve instead, holding him still. He raises an eyebrow at the determined set to her shoulders, but it’s easy to help balance her with his hands on her hips as she pushes up onto her toes, her lips brushing his cheek.

“Thank you, Kash.” It’s murmured against his skin, and Kash feels his heart stutter for a second. He squeezes her hips gently, waits for Keyleth to rock back onto her heels before smiling. She smiles back up at him, and there’s enough moonlight to see the faint flush under her freckles. Kash hopes for a wild second that maybe it’s not from the wine.

“Anytime, Keyleth.” He means it, and from the soft look in her eyes, she knows it. When he steps back this time she lets him go, gives a little wave before turning and placing her hand on the bark of the tree. There’s a muttered incantation and then the bark peels open, and in a matter of seconds Keyleth is gone, tree standing whole in front of him again. There’s a raven on the lowest branch, head cocked to the side, staring at him intently. Kash flips it off, laughs when it swoops low enough to smack feathers against his cheek. He watches it fly off into the night, disappearing before it’s out of his sight, then turns to make his way back.

Kash walks home with his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the stars. His children are safe in bed, his partner is almost certainly sketching new designs in the kitchen, and his best friend will be back in a matter of days with the rest of the family. Warmth curls in his gut, warding off the night chill until he’s back inside.

Always happy to prove him wrong, Zahra is sitting sideways in the armchair when he gets in, papers scattered around her, carefully inking over a recent sketch. Kash glances over her shoulder before pulling his sweater off and dropping down onto the couch, sighing as he sinks back into the cushions. Zahra carefully sets the drawing to the side, what he thinks might be a dagger or sword, before gathering the rest of her papers, half-scribbled notes and diagrams covering them. She sets them all on the table before standing fluidly, crossing the space between them and sinking down into his lap with a smile.

"See her home safe, then?" Kash wraps one arm around her waist to pull her in close as she talks, other hand settling on her thigh. Zahra laughs softly when he presses his face against her neck, breathing in deep. He feels her sink one hand into his hair, claws scratching gently; her other hand settles on his shoulder, tracing absent designs. "What's going on, my love?"

"Keyleth.” There’s a note of finality in the name as he says it, and Kash almost laughs. He is unsure how to talk about this.

"Is she alright?" Zahra's voice is calm, and her nails against his scalp help keep his breathing slow. Kash knows exactly what she's doing, and he can't talk for a minute for just how in love with this woman he is.

"Yeah. Yeah, she's okay now." Kash turns his head slightly so his words aren't so muffled. Zahra squeezes his shoulder, waiting patiently. "Um, it's more about me, I guess."

"You guess?" She sounds fond, now, almost teasing, and Kash huffs a laugh, tightening his arm around her waist. The smile is evident in her voice when she continues, "What is it, dear?"

"You know I'm in love with you, right?" Kash asks, keeping his eyes shut. He feels more than hears Zahra hum acknowledgement.

"I know, Kash. And you know I feel the same way about you, don't you?" Zahra asks, and he squeezes her thigh firmly, nodding slightly.

"Yeah, Zee, I know," Kash tells her, and he still feels a sense of awe, that he gets to have this, gets to have her love. He swallows hard, fingers tapping out a nervous beat against her leg. "Well, uh, I think. I think I might be falling in love with Keyleth, too."

There's a beat of silence, and then Zahra's shoulders begin to shake, dislodging Kash. She brings a hand up to her mouth and he freezes, swallowing hard before lifting his head, stomach sinking.

He's not expecting her to be holding back her laughter.

"What," Kash says, voice flat, and Zahra breaks, curling over as she starts laughing in earnest. She curls her free hand around his wrist, other hand sliding out of his hair to cup his neck, "Uh, Zahra?"

"Sorry, sorry dear, oh, give me a moment," she gasps out between giggles, still hunched over. Her hands are warm against his skin, and it helps Kash stay calm. He starts rubbing his thumb in circles against her thigh, the silky material of her dress soothing him further. After another minute Zahra straightens up, presses a kiss to his forehead and smiles down at him.

"You're not mad." It's a statement, not a question, because Kash has no doubt-- Zahra _isn't_ mad, and he's fucking relieved for it.

"No, dear, of course not. I'm relieved, if I'm being honest," She tells him, sliding her hand back up into his hair, and Kash automatically nudges into her fingers, raising his eyebrows.

"You are?" He can’t keep the incredulity out of his voice, but Zahra just nods.

"Yes, I'm relieved that she isn't, you know, dying or something," she starts, squeezing his wrist gently, nails gliding over his scalp. Kash hums low in his throat, relaxing further under her attention, and Zahra grins as she continues, "And, frankly I am relieved that I didn't have to bring it up myself."

"You knew, huh?" Zahra shrugs at his question, crossing one leg over the other.

"Well, I suppose I didn't know, but I did have an educated guess,” she tells him, and Kash has to laugh, shaking his head. He squeezes her thigh gently, smiling wryly.

"Yeah, well, you always were the smarter one." It’s Zahra’s turn to laugh, then, her smile turning teasing.

"You're not wrong." Her tail curls around his calf and ankle, squeezing gently, and her smile fades. Zahra’s voice is serious when she asks, "What do you want to do about it, Kash?"

"Is nothing an option?" He doesn’t mean to say it, but Zahra’s always had that sort of affect on him. She gives him an amused smile, tail flicking his ankle.

"Of course. Nothing is always an option." Kash can tell that she means it, but he sighs heavily, shaking his head.

"I feel like there's a but, here,” he says, and Zahra’s smile widens, eyes flashing.

"That's because you actually are quite smart when you want to be." Kash snorts, and Zahra tugs at his hair gently, reprimanding. Her voice softens as she says, "But, dear, I think you've spent enough years denying yourself. We're very happy, and if you choose to do nothing, we'll continue to be very happy. You and me, our children, our friends, we'll all be happy.

"If you tell her, though, there could be so much more. What have you got to lose?" Zahra’s questions sends a beat of fear through Kash, makes him swallow hard and shut his eyes for a moment.

"Keyleth. What if I tell her, and I lose her?" Kash opens his eyes as he asks, but he focuses on Zahra’s shoulder, white hair spilling over red skin, familiar in a way he never imagined. He feels her tail slide off his leg, feels it wind around his waist a moment later; he looks up reluctantly, heart skipping at the soft smile on her face.

"I don't think you will. If she doesn't feel the same way, which I highly doubt, then things may just go back to being awkward for a bit. After a little while, though, it'll just go back to normal." Zahra states it all like a fact, like she’s completely sure, and Kash finds himself wishing he had her confidence.

"Sorry, do any of us even know what normal is?" He tries to deflect, lighten the mood, but Zahra fixes him with a mild glare, fingers stilling in his hair.

"Kashaw Hydris, you know what I'm saying." Kash sighs, smooths his hand over her side gently until she relaxes.

"Yeah, Zee, I do,” he admits, then stops, jaw clenching. He feels another thread of uncertainty as he pushes on, "If I tell her, and if she feels the same, both of which are big fucking ifs, where do you fit in?"

"Right where I've always been. You know I think Keyleth is beautiful, and while I don't love her like you do, I do love her. She's family." She stops to duck and kiss him gently, and Kash tries to pull her even closer, kissing her back slowly. Zahra pulls back enough just to smile against his mouth, leaning their foreheads together. "I will happily have her in our bed, if she wants me. I will happily watch you court her, if she doesn’t. Other than that, I don't see what else will really change."

Zhara brushes another kiss to his mouth before straightening up, hand sliding back down out of his hair to rest on his neck, and she squeezes his wrist as he relaxes back into the couch cushions again. She stays quiet, waiting as he processes, always patient with him. Kash searches for any signs that she might not be okay, might be trying to bullshit, but he knows with certainty that Zahra isn't that kind of person.

She's telling the truth. Kash has to shut his eyes against the flood of hope and relief that wash trough him.

"Okay," he finally says, letting out a slow exhale as he opens his eyes. Zahra's lips curl up, stretching into a wide grin that lights up her face, and Kash loses his breath again at how fucking beautiful she is. She ducks down to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth before letting go of him, gently pulling away and sliding out of his lap. He watches her take a few steps away, around the low table, before she turns and holds a hand out to him.

"Come to bed, Kash. We can talk more in the morning," she promises, and Kash is helpless to do anything but follow. Zahra smiles again when he takes her hand, squeezing gently before turning and leading him back towards their bedroom. Kash tangles their fingers together, and she tightens her grip, smiling at him softly over her shoulder.

Kash thinks about Zahra's smile as she turns back away, thinks about how Keyleth had fit in his arms, the kiss she'd pressed to his cheek. He thinks about how Keyleth is already so at home in their house, thinks about her and Zahra with their heads bent together over tea and books, thinks about how she'd taken half of the drawings she and Vax had made home, thinks about how calm Kamaria is around her.

Zahra pulls him into their room, her tail snaking behind him to shut the door, and Kash thinks about Keyleth's head on his shoulder.

Happiness is still a foreign concept, some days. Kash is resolved to never let it go.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let this ending be happy, even if just for a while. They all deserve it.

“Incoming!” Kash looks up in time to see Kamaira launching herself up at him, and he doesn’t even blink as he drops his armful of books, catching her easily and hefting her up over one of his shoulders. Keyleth is laughing as she approaches, nearly bent in half to clutch at her stomach, eyes bright. Kash’s heart skips a beat, and he shakes his head, tries to bite back his smile.

“What did you do to my daughter, huh?” He asks, and Keyleth grins as her breathing slows, straightens up and takes a few steps forward to close the space between them. Kamaira wiggles in his grasp, and Kash pretends to drop her, grins as the little girl shrieks with laughter and twists in his arms. Keyleth crouches down, eyes sparking with mischief as she begins picking up books.

“I didn’t do anything,” she says, and Kash doesn’t believe her smile for a fucking minute. “We might have been listening to some of Uncle Grog and Aunt Pike’s stories, though.”

“They know lotsa fun stuff, Daddy!” Kamaria beams up at him, and Kash bites back a sigh, lets a fond smile creep over his face instead. “Aunt Kiki said we should surprise you.”

“Oh she did, did she?” Kash kneels down, setting Kamaria back onto the floor before looking at Keyleth. Her focus is trained on the growing stack, but Kash can see the corner of her grin as she tucks her hair behind her ear. “Well, how about you go surprise Uncle Percy now, okay?”

“Okay!” His daughter darts up to press a kiss to his cheek, and Kash grabs her tight, blows a raspberry against her neck until she’s giggling wildly. He lets go when she starts squirming, watches as she kisses Keyleth’s cheek before racing out of the room. Keyleth is practically glowing when he looks back over at her.

“So,” Kash starts, and Keyleth laughs, picking up one of the neat piles she’d created. Kash grabs the other, and they rise together, Keyleth smiling up at him once they’re steady on their feet. “Where are we taking these, again?”

“I think Cass’s library? The second one down,” Keyleth offers, and Kash doesn’t bother suppressing the sigh this time, shakes his head before ducking to kiss her softly. She tastes like lemon and honey; Vex must have made another pot tea.

“These fuckin’ people do not need this much space,” he grumbles as they part, and Keyleth laughs softly, shrugging her shoulders.

“I don’t know, it’s getting pretty full now,” she says cheerfully, and they look over at a clatter of noise. Three quarter-elves and a tiefling rush past the doorway, hollering and whooping, chased by two gnomes on a goliath. Kash wishes that the sight was anything outside of the usual.

“When is she due again?” He asks, heading for the door. Keyleth keeps pace easily, humming consideringly for a moment. Kash takes the minute to study her, counting new freckles on her shoulders.

Time looks good on her.

“Should be just about three months now.” She turns to look at him, catches him staring. Her blush spreads over her cheeks, a sight he will never get tired of, but she smiles anyway, something soft and pleased, just for him.

“So we’ll be helping remodel again in what, eight months? A year?” Kash ducks his head to hide his smile when Keyleth laughs, pausing to let her exit the room first. She shakes her head, grinning over her shoulder before turning right down the castle hallway. He catches up easily, bumps their arms together as silence falls between them. It’s nice when they all make it to Whitestone, nice when they have the whole family together, but Kash is still grateful for the increasingly rare moments of quiet.

A raven swoops in through one of the windows they pass, lands on Keyleth’s shoulder and croaks at Kash. Keyleth laughs in surprise, murmuring something under her breath, and if Kash didn’t know better he would say that there was no way possible the bird was giving him a smug look.

And yet.

“Where’s he been today?” He asks, begrudgingly smiling when the raven croaks again. Keyleth kisses its head before smiling at Kash; he’s glad to see there’s no sadness behind it today.

“With Vex, mostly. Although I think he got up to something with Scanlan and Grog, too. Or Percy, he’s not saying.” The raven lets out something that almost sounds like a laugh, and Keyleth smiles, shakes her head. Kash wonders when exactly this became normal.

The raven hops onto Kash’s shoulder when they reach the other library, pecking at his shoulder as he lets Keyleth enter first. He scowls at the bird, but the intelligent eyes don’t blink as it makes the strange, warbling laugh again.

“Vax, leave him be,” Keyleth chides, setting down her pile of books on one of the tables. The raven caws loudly, right in Kash’s ear, and he swears involuntarily, dropping his books in an untidy pile. The raven flies up before he can flick at it, swoops down past Keyleth before leaving through the window. Keyleth watches it go, but when she looks back at Kash she seems content, the slope of her shoulders relaxed, hands reaching out for him without any urgency.

“Hey,” he says softly, taking her hands and tugging her closer, smiling down at her beaming face. She pushes up onto her toes to catch his mouth in a gentle kiss, and Kash lets go of one of one of her hands to wrap his arm around her, holding her tight. Keyleth lets out a soft sigh, cupping his jaw with her free hand, fingers light against his skin.

He always expects the blackened tips to leave marks against him, is always a little disappointed when there are none.

Kash hears footsteps approaching, but he pays them no mind; Keyleth is tangling their fingers together, and she sighs again when he curls his hand tighter around her hip, and she parts her lips immediately at the swipe of his tongue. Whoever it is can wait.

“There you two are! Come on, time for that later, there’s been a change in plans.” Zahra’s voice rings out, and Kash reluctantly turns his head, raising his eyebrows at his wife. She grins unapologetically, leaning against the doorframe. “Vex wants to go on a picnic, now, let’s go.”

“Oooh, I love picnics! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Keyleth slowly pulls away, rocking back onto her heels. She doesn’t let go of Kash’s hand, tugging him with her as she starts walking towards Zahra. The other woman grins, taking a step back to let them pass.

“It has been much too long, dear, I agree,” Zahra says, pressing a kiss to Keyleth’s cheek once they reach her. Her tail flicks against Kash’s ankle lightly, and he grins as he leans in to kiss her. She curls her hand around his free arm as he pulls away, then begins guiding him towards the staircase with Keyleth.

“Kids already on Trinket?” He asks, thumb rubbing over the back of Keyleth’s hand. Zahra laughs and nods, squeezing his arm gently.

“Oh, yes. Johanna and the two Vax’s won this round,” she says, voice amused, and Kash smiles as they start to descend. There’s a lot of fucking noise coming from the entrance, and he watches as their family starts to appear, spread out as they make sure they’ve gathered everything necessary.

“They brought the carpet out?” Keyleth sounds delighted, a little wistful, and Kash isn’t thinking as he raises their hands up to kiss her knuckles.

“Mhmm. Percy promised Elaina and Kamaria a fun ride as well, and Vex vetoed the broom,” Zahra explains. Keyleth leans forward and around Kash to look at Zahra, mouth open, but Zahra laughs and cuts her off gently, “She also vetoed Bigby’s hand, and anyone being polymorphed. Scanlan decided it best not to cross her today.”

“Probably smart.” Keyleth smiles impishly, straightens up and turns her attention back to their friends ahead. Kash presses another kiss to her knuckles before letting their hands swing back down. He sees her smile grow softer out of the corner of his eye, and he can’t stop his lips from curling up. Zahra’s tail flicks at the back of his knee, and he turns his attention towards her, regrets it almost immediately.

“Sap,” she murmurs, voice fond, and the look in her eyes is so tender that Kash can’t breathe for a minute. He shakes her hand off his arm gently, drapes it over her shoulders to tug her in against his side instead. Zahra laughs and leans into him, her arm wrapping around his back, hand warm against his ribs even through his shirt. Keyleth squeezes his hand gently, humming a now-familiar tune under her breath.

Kash is grateful that he finally learned to stop questioning love.

“Hey, Dad! Aunt Kiki! Aunt Vex, Mom found them, can we go now?” Vax’s excited question sets off a round of teasing and a flurry of movement, items being passed between the group and exchanged among adults, the kids tossing a few things back and forth.

Vex leads the charge out of the castle, Percy hovering at her side, sending what Kash is sure he thinks are furtive glances at his wife. Cassandra follows just behind them, hat secure on her head, grinning up at Vax, Johanna, and Vax as the three talk with and over each other from their perch on Trinket. Pike is up on Grog’s shoulder, laughing and leaning over his head to talk down to Kamaria and Elaina; Scanlan rides the carpet with the girls, expression mock-offended at whatever story his girlfriend is telling about him. Kash brings up the rear of the pack, bookended by Keyleth and Zahra, something warm and loose unfurling in his chest.  

Zahra presses a kiss to his cheek, a knowing smile on her face; she stays quiet, though, her tail lazily winding around his waist.

“Hey,” Keyleth says softly, and Kash turns his head to look down at her, trusting Zahra to not let him trip or run into anyone. Keyleth bites her lower lip, hand curling tighter in his as her eyes slide away. Kash waits her out, lets her take the time to find the words she needs. After another minute she lets out a slow breath, gaze meeting his again. Kash smiles gently, and Keyleth loosens her hold on his hand, voice quiet as she tells him, “I’m really happy, Kash.”

“Yeah?” He keeps his tone neutral, but he’s sure Zahra can feel his increasing heart rate. Keyleth nods, lips curling up, gaze open and honest. Kash feels his breath catch in his throat.

“Yeah, I am.” Her eyes crinkle at the corner, and Kash has to duck down towards her, press a kiss to the corner of her mouth. He feels Zahra’s arm and tail tighten around him reflexively, hears her laugh delightedly. Keyleth giggles as he pulls back a little, blush creeping back over her cheeks. He doesn't know if he deserves the adoration on her face as she says, “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.” The words come easy these days, and Kash grins broadly when Keyleth fucking beams at him, smile spreading over her face like the sun. She darts up to kiss his cheek, and Kash leans into it before straightening up, turning his attention back forwards. Zahra rubs his side gently, humming along to the song the kids have started singing, and Keyleth rests her head on his shoulder, squeezing his hand gently.

The raven swoops overhead, and Kash thinks about gratitude, and loss, and love.

Happiness is a lot more familiar these days. He’s still not letting go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no self control and wrote this the day after I wrote the first chapter, because it made me happy. I'm a big fan of open endings, but I personally prefer happy endings and closure, so here we are. 
> 
> Thank you for reading this! I truly hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Again, I've over at [tumblr](https://nevershootamockingbird.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/daleytwin1) if you want to come say hi!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! I adore Kash/Zahra, and I adore Kashleth, and I think they could be so fucking happy together, all of them. 
> 
> If any part of it seems out of character, not cohesive with canon, not cohesive with D&D or Critical Role, I apologize! I still haven't finished campaign 1, but I've only got 9 episodes left until the end (I actually have watched 115 though, I had to watch it live. I can't wait to watch it again). 
> 
> Again, thank you so much for reading this. I really do hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did. 
> 
> Title is from "Saturday Sun" by Vance Joy. It just seemed fitting. 
> 
> Feel free to hit me up on [tumblr](https://nevershootamockingbird.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/daleytwin1) if you'd like!


End file.
